Don’t smash him
Misbun: Zii Jia’s rough patch nothing to be alarmed about
For a player touted as a potential successor to badminton icon Lee Chong Wei, losing in the very first round of the Malaysian Open must have been a nightmare for Lee Zii Jia (pic). But national singles coach Datuk Misbun Sidek isn’t losing sleep over it - and neither should his 21-year-old charge. “Chong Wei had gone through many ups and downs before becoming a player who is able to handle all kinds of situations. Zii Jia too will have to go through the same process,” said Misbun.
NATIONAL men’s singles head coach Datuk Misbun Sidek appeared unperturbed over Lee Zii Jia’s recent slump in form.
All eyes were on the 21-year-old to shine in the absence of Lee Chong Wei at the Malaysian Open but it was a debut to forget as he was knocked out in the first round by Thailand’s Suppanyu Avihingsanon on Wednesday.
It was Zii Jia’s second straight first-round exit after the Swiss Open three weeks ago.
Before that, the Taiwan Open champion had been on fire when he reached the quarter-finals in all his first four outings of the year at the Thailand Masters, Malaysian Masters, Indonesian Masters and German Open.
Misbun said Zii Jia lacked the experience of playing in high-level tournaments and that was evident in his inconsistent performances.
It’s worth noting that the Malaysian Open was only his seventh top-tier World Tour appearance since joining the senior ranks in 2017.
“Every young player goes through a rough patch and there will be a time when they don’t play well in big tournaments,” said Misbun.
“Chong Wei had gone through many ups and downs before becoming a player who was able to handle all kinds of situations. Zii Jia too will have to go through the same process.
“I’m happy with Zii Jia’s performance (recently). He’s already showing he has the game to take on the world’s top players.
“His name is already wellknown on the international stage but performance-wise, he’s not stable yet.
“As for his first-round exit (on Wednesday), he crumbled under pressure and was too eager to win.”
Misbun believes Zii Jia is still the best bet to reclaim the men’s singles glory for Malaysia in future tournaments.
The men’s singles have contributed 26 out of 80 titles won by home players since the tournaments’ inception in 1937, with Chong Wei winning 12 of them.
“I’m very positive about Zii Jia’s future. He will win it back for us,” said Misbun, who’s a winner himself in 1985.